Dick Bradsell, In Memory of.

The man who many credit as being responsible for the resurgence of cocktail bars in London in the 1980s, Dick Bradsell, passed away and left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten.

Mr Bradsell grew up on the Isle of White before moving to London at the request of his parents due to consecutively trashing their house with house parties, it was there that he acquired a job as a general dogsbody in his uncle’s Naval & Military club. His friend got him a job as a bar-back at the Zanzibar Club in 1970 and his love affair with bartending began.

He ran many bars: The Pink Chihuahua bar at El Camion in Soho , Fred’s Club, The Colony Room and The Player.

The creator of the Espresso Martini, The Bramble, The Treacle and many other drinks, many people in the industry recognise him as being the inspiration and motivation behind their bartending careers.

His absence will certainly be felt in and around the industry and it is with heavy hearts that we will be raising a Bramble and an Espresso Martini in memory of one of the last true greats.

“You always have to try and achieve perfection in bartending, it doesn’t just happen; you have to make the effort.”